Chicago's Bike Share Program is Ready for Launch

I was in Chicago last week for work and I was in research mode to see their new bikeways, bike station, and see what is happening with their bike-share program. I was happy to see that New York City isn't the only city getting a new bike-sharing program. Chicago is also getting close to launching its Divvy bike-share, with memberships already on sale and the official public opening currently planned for mid to late June.

At first, Divvy will have about 75 stations and about 750 bikes, but it'll keep expanding until it reaches 4,000 bikes and 400 solar-powered locations by the spring of 2014. The city's department of transportation previewed the system last weekend during a Bike the Drive event along Lake Michigan.

Membership is very affordable when compared to pretty much any other way to get around except walking:

Annual memberships cost $75, and members will be issued a personal key to unlock bikes from any Divvy station, officials said. Daily passes, valid for 24-hour periods, are priced at $7. Both allow for unlimited trips up to 30 minutes each. An additional fee will be charged for using a bike for more than a half-hour.

Here's a description of the bikes:

The heavy-duty bikes feature a step-through, one-size-fits-all design; upright handlebars with the gear-changer on the grip and wide, adjustable seats for comfort; hand brakes; a chain guard to protect clothing; and a basket with an elastic cord for storing items. The bikes also will be outfitted with headlights and taillights that illuminate automatically as the bike is pedaled, officials said.

Bike sharing is one of these things that makes so much sense. Almost all cities could benefit from it, from reducing road congestions, to having better air, to healthier citizens, to all of the psychological benefits of biking.

Via Divvy Bike Sharing, Chicago Tribune